'More motivation': Steve Smith's warning for sledging Pakistani
Giving arguably the world’s best batsman extra ammunition is a dangerous game that Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah may live to regret.
A year out for his ball-tampering ban has made Steve Smith run-hungry, but a cheap out and a brutal send-off has made him plain ravenous.
Australia's star batsman says Shah's pointed celebration at dismissing him for four in the series-opener has spiked Smith's motivation for the second Test starting on Friday in Adelaide.
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On day three at the Gabba, Shah clean bowled Smith for just four runs - the seventh time the spinner has dismissed the Aussie batting sensation.
BOWLED 😲
Steve Smith goes cheaply #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/emPioH41Lj— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 23, 2019
To make matters worse for Smith - who only lasted 10 balls at the crease - Shah knew exactly how many times he'd removed Smith.
The Pakistan spinner took great delight in reminding Smith about the statistic.
Shah cheekily flashed seven fingers to the former Aussie captain as he trundled off the ground - rubbing it in to Smith in brutal fashion.
The 30-year-old Aussie star was asked by reporters about the sledge on Tuesday, when he admitted that it had been paying on his mind.
"It gave me a bit more motivation next game to not get out to him, so I'll be probably a little bit more disciplined against him," Smith told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday.
Smith then inflicted some self-abuse by running the three kilometres back to the hotel instead of catching the team bus.
"I always punish myself when I get no runs, just like I reward myself when I score runs with a chocolate bar at the end of the night if I get a hundred," he said.
"So yeah, if I get no runs I always like to have a run or go to the gym or do something just to give myself a bit of a punishment."
England paceman Stuart Broad has outed Smith eight times in Tests - the only bowler to dismiss the Aussie ace more than legspinner Shah.
But Broad's haul comes in 24 Tests while Shah has played just six Tests against Smith.
"I feel the times he (Shah) has got me out, I have been on a few runs," Smith said.
"I have been slogging in a couple of second innings ones where I was playing some funky shots and stuff so I'm not too worried.
"I thought he bowled really well at the Gabba, got some good drift and a little bit of spin on a wicket that probably wasn't spinning that much, so bowled well."
Smith came to the crease in Brisbane with Australia 2-351.
"I probably do bat a little bit better when there is pressure on, for sure," he said.
"The situation we were at was a pretty good one ... I actually spoke to JL (coach Justin Langer) in the morning.
"I was like 'how should I approach this today, what do you think?' and he said 'do what you want to do'.
"I thought about being quite aggressive and it didn't work."
"It's fine with me. I know that batting, you fail a lot, so when you get in need to make the most of it."
Aussie attack likely to remain unchanged
The series against Pakistan has moved to the South Australian capital for a pink-ball finale from Friday after Australia beat the tourists by an innings and five runs inside four days in the first Test at the Gabba.
Australia looks set to stick with the same pace attack that worked together so effectively in Brisbane - an approach Josh Hazlewood hopes will reap the rewards.
Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc all took successful turns with the new ball across both innings, while Nathan Lyon's two wickets for the match were both timely.
Michael Neser remains in the wings and a chance to debut given selector Trevor Hohns' comments around his pink-ball potential, while James Pattinson is also available after suspension ruled him out of contention in Brisbane.
A easiest of catches for Pat Cummins.
Pakistan 9-331 #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/Mam7k7eQP7— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 24, 2019
But Hazlewood said sticking with the same bowling unit was the "perfect scenario" and would play to their strengths.
"I think it's huge; we know everything about each other basically," he said.
"You know when guys are going well and when they might need to slow it down and have a word with them.
"I talk to Nath a lot, I field at mid-off for him a lot and we talk a lot about how things are going.
"If we're not bowling the right areas or getting the wickets (we talk about) what can we try here. It's huge I think."
A Hazlewood back injury brought about the only forced change to the bowling attack on home soil during the last Test campaign.
Australia's tactics changed in England on seaming decks, with both Pattinson and Peter Siddle deployed at times ahead of Hazlewood and Starc during the Ashes series.
New high performance boss Ben Oliver said on Monday there would be no rotation policy this summer, with teams picked on the basis of form, fitness and suitability to conditions.
It's music to Hazlewood's ears given he averages 20.22 - six less than his career average - in four Tests at Adelaide Oval, a ground he rates as his favourite for bowling.
"Ideally that's the perfect scenario," Hazlewood said of continuity this summer.
"Being a fast bowler you can never look too far ahead and it's quite tough, the summer in Australia.
"They do take their toll, but ideally you want to keep the same bowling group together, the same as the top six (batsmen).
"Guys get confidence, they relax when they know they are not on their last chance. We are certainly no different."
With AAP